This invention relates to liquid level and liquid withdrawal and return systems, and more particularly to a universal mounting head for accommodating a wide variety of tank configurations and hose connection requirements for mounting heads associated with liquid level transducers and liquid withdrawal and return assemblies.
Transducers for measuring liquid level are often used in vehicles, industrial equipment, as well as other mobile and stationary systems and components. The electrical output of such transducers varies in response to a change in the liquid level being measured and is typically in the form of a change in resistance, capacitance, current flow, magnetic field, and frequency. These types of transducers may include variable capacitors or resistors, optical components, Hall Effect sensors, strain gauges, ultrasonic devices, reed switch arrays, and so on.
For reed switch-type devices, a plurality of reed switches are usually arranged in series with a plurality of resistors along the length of a circuit board. The reed switches are normally responsive to the presence and absence of a magnetic field for opening and/or closing the switch. A float rides along the surface of the liquid to be measured and is constrained to move in a linear direction along the circuit board. The float usually includes an embedded magnet to trip one of the reed switches as the float moves in response to a change in liquid level in the tank. Thus, the resistance of the circuit, which is indicative of liquid level, depends on the position of the float and the particular reed switch that has been tripped.
No matter what sensing technology is used, liquid withdrawal and return fixtures are often associated with the transducer. Such fixtures typically include hose connectors in fluid communication with conduits that extend into the tank. Hoses or lines are connected to the fixtures so that liquid, such as fuel, can be withdrawn from the tank and transported to an engine at a remote location, with any unused fuel being returned to the tank, for example. The hose connectors are typically fixed in position, may be of different sizes, and cannot be adjusted to accommodate different requirements associated with a particular tank configuration, space limitations associated with the tank and/or machine or system to which the tank is connected, and so on. Thus, different mounting heads are required for accommodating each set of requirements, leading to excessive manufacturing costs, assembly time, and excess inventory associated with different molds, castings, fixtures, and so on.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a universal mounting head for liquid level transducers and liquid withdrawal and return assemblies, either alone or in combination, to thereby accommodate a large variety of different requirements associated with different tank configurations, space limitations associated with the tank and/or machine or system to which the tank is connected, and so on.